Belgium will host Europe’s biggest sportainment park
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
Biopolymers derived from sea creatures may help solve the problem of ocean plastic pollution
The University of Siena, in Tuscany, is heading a new project that aims to tackle the cumbersome issue of maritime plastic pollution, and it will do so with the creation of biodegradable packaging material. It will be made from polymers derived from the shells of sea animals, such as shrimp, and although it will be reminiscent of plastic visually this is where all similarities end.
The name of the project - Fish4Fish – perfectly encapsulates the ambition behind it. The sea animals will not only be the source of food but also the source of the material used to package such food. The minds behind the project, forming part of a Spanish-Italian consortium of academia and private companies, are adamant that it will be a perfect example of a circular economy.
The focal point of the research happens at the laboratories of the Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Siena.
A biodegradable and compostable bioplastic will be obtained from seafood processing waste, shrimp shells in particular. These are quite rich in chitin, one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature. A soluble polymer, chitosan, is then obtained from the chitin. Using other waste from wood processing - such as lignin nanoparticles – will also give the new material antimicrobial, antioxidant and photoprotective properties.
The latter addition also means that the shelf life of perishable foods can be extended, reducing food waste in the long term. And what’s more, later on, the biofilm can actually be used as fertilizer. And for even better visualization of the idea of the project, you can watch the accompanying video.
The project has taken another step forward and is now moving towards the creation of prototypes for possible placing on the market. The advantages for the environment are undeniable, and so is the economic convenience for the private sector. Companies linked to the fish supply chain would no longer have to bear the costs of waste disposal, and food companies and shops would have a competitive advantage linked to food storage times.
The bioplastic has also been selected by the European Commission as one of the "best in class projects" for the 2021 edition of Ecomondo - the fair of environmental sustainability.
Citing concerns about humaneness, the legislation aims to discourage the proliferation of the so-called designer pet breeds
Naturally, many aren’t happy - not because of the reduced possibility for prayers, but because they felt it was an attack on welfare
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
Some autonomous shuttles in France are now doing their rounds without a human supervisor inside
Europe is striving to cut the costs of operating wind turbines on water
38,000 of these fellas help to purify the city air, so why not become friends with them?
2020 and 2021 were zero years for these types of events, but the break has not diminished its reputation
As Europe strives to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, Turku and Dijon are among a group of cities seeking to reach this goal two decades earlier
Some autonomous shuttles in France are now doing their rounds without a human supervisor inside
2020 and 2021 were zero years for these types of events, but the break has not diminished its reputation
Citing concerns about humaneness, the legislation aims to discourage the proliferation of the so-called designer pet breeds
The facility will be located in Hasselt and is set to welcome its first visitors this spring
The European Commission has published its first progress report charting the achievements of the socio-cultural movement that combines beauty, inclusion and sustainability
The 2023 edition of the creative initiative promises to be bigger, bolder and more inclusive
This initiative seeks to integrate the values of the New European Bauhaus into the European Commission’s 100 Cities Mission
Veni Markovski’s take on dealing with disinformation in the European Union's poorest country – Bulgaria
A conversation with the mayor of Utrecht on the occasion of her mission to COP27
A conversation with the President of the European Committee of the Regions, about energy, climate change and the underrated importance of cohesion policy